


Anyone But You

by thethirstorder (KaiserPhoenix)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Aerobics, Aerobics Hux, Alcohol, Anxious Hux, Banter, Blowjobs, Body Image, Comedy, Crack Treated Seriously, Crying, Drinking, Enemies to Lovers, First Time, Fluff, Gross Misuse of Ice Cream, Hurt/Comfort, Hux's Life Is A Cosmic Joke, Hux-centric, Ice Cream, Inappropriate Use of the Force, Insecure Hux, Kissing, Lego Star Wars References, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Pre-Canon, Sexual Tension, Virgin Hux, handjobs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-15
Updated: 2016-08-15
Packaged: 2018-07-24 06:21:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7497438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaiserPhoenix/pseuds/thethirstorder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Captain. You can’t seriously be suggesting that I attempt to seduce — that I — with Ren…” Hux spluttered and trailed off. </p><p>“Ah, what a shame. And here I believed that my General was capable of anything.” </p><p>Phasma and Hux have a bet when Hux says he can get anyone in bed. She says Ren of course, and Hux begrudgingly accepts the challenge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [vmprsm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vmprsm/gifts).



> This is my half of my exchange with vmprsm! You should all go and read her wonderful fic [In the Glittering Morning](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7495941) that she wrote for her part of the exchange <3
> 
> This fic was such fun to write to the extent that this is now a multi-chapter endeavour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Content warning: drinking and alcohol**

It was a rare off-duty evening for Hux. Seated in the officer’s lounge next to Captain Phasma and sipping a dignified peach and lime daiquiri, Hux had somehow fallen into the topic of intimate interpersonal relationships. Ordinarily, he would have been loath to discuss such a thing. The reasoning he would give if questioned was that the subject was unprofessional and irrelevant. Truthfully, that justification was a ruse to hide his own sorely lacking experience.

“How was your day, Captain?”

“Productive,” she said, proudly. “Accuracy in my marksmanship program has improved by 3.7 per cent. I spent the week identifying areas that could be improved and I made some ad-hoc tweaks, the results of which I saw today. Of course, I’ll be submitting a full report in two days’ time.” 

“Excellent work as always,” Hux said. He didn’t quite smile, but the corners of his mouth lifted just enough for Phasma to see that he was pleased beyond concealment.

“That occupied almost the entirety of my shift,” Phasma continued. “I then returned to my quarters to find that I’d received a message from my girlfriend,” she said, as casually as if she had just told Hux what she ate for dinner.  
  
Hux almost gasped at Phasma’s admission, but thought better of himself just in time. Startled, he squeaked out an “oh! That’s… that’s lovely,” in response. “H-how did you meet?” Hux said hurriedly, not wanting to be overly personal but not wanting to seem disinterested.  
  
“My last shore leave. I met her while seeing a holodrama. It was a new release and the place was packed. She happened to be sitting beside me and once the show was over, I asked her if she’d like to come to dinner. So we went to the nearest restaurant we saw, a horrid little diner really, but we got along wonderfully. We parted ways for the evening and decided to meet again the following cycle. And, well, you know the rest.”

“That sounds like a delightful time. I’m happy for you both,” Hux said, doing his best to feign some semblance of how to navigate this conversation. He took a sip of his drink to avoid having to comment further.

“Thank you,” Phasma said, her eyes glittering in the dull light of the lounge. “How about yourself, General?”

“Similarly productive. I had two divisional strategy meetings, an update on base construction, and I received a mission report on time, for once. I also recorded five new morale sessions because I’d like a little more variety in th—”

“Armitage.” Phasma cut Hux off mid-sentence and Hux winced at the sound of his given name. “I wasn’t asking about what you did today,” she said in her low, melodious voice. “Do you have a long-term romantic or sexual partner?”

“Neither. Not at the moment,” Hux said, trying to keep his tone even. “Though it’s not for lack of success,” he added quickly. “If I wanted one, of course I’d have one. In fact, I could have anyone I wanted.” 

Phasma raised an eyebrow. “Naturally,” she replied, an almost undetectable note of sarcasm in her voice. “Anyone, you say?”

“Did I misspeak? I said absolutely _anyone_.”  
  
The sound of heavy footsteps interrupted their conversation. Hux took the opportunity to sip at his drink again and didn’t bother to look up, unfazed by the noise.  
  
“Ah, look who it is.” Phasma nudged Hux, who looked up to see the hulking figure of Kylo Ren stalking across the room. Several officers shrank back in their seats — this was their leisure time and to have to deal with Kylo Ren and whatever demands and destruction he brought with him was the last thing they wanted. Ren sat down at an unoccupied table without taking off his mask.  
  
“How about him?” Phasma asked, cocking her head in Kylo’s direction.

“What about him?”

“You said _anyone_.” 

“I did. What’s your point?”

“My point is that I don’t believe you. I bet you couldn’t get Kylo Ren to sleep with you even if you tried.”

“Well, you’re wrong. I’m certain Ren would gladly go to bed with me, should I express the faintest bit of interest in him — which, for the record, I would never.”

“Why don’t you prove it?” Hux blinked and looked Phasma in the eye. He paused, and Phasma smiled. Hux frowned, and she gestured towards Ren again. Then it dawned on him.

“Captain. You can’t seriously be suggesting that I attempt to seduce — that I — with Ren…” Hux spluttered and trailed off. 

“Ah, what a shame. And here I believed that my General was capable of _anything_.” Phasma played to Hux’s stubbornness and capacity for overachievement: if anyone said he couldn’t do something, he’d always find a way to do it. He had yet to fail. Phasma continued to stare him down without breaking eye contact.

Suddenly grateful for the lounge’s low lighting, Hux blushed furiously. Perhaps it was the alcohol going to his head. He cursed his pride — the idea of sleeping with _Ren_ of all people made Hux shudder. He’d never seen the man take off his mask and for all he knew, Ren wasn’t human at all. If his face was concerning, then Hux dreaded to imagine what the rest of him looked like. Would it even be biologically possible for Hux to copulate with him?

Hux pushed all thoughts of the indeterminable nature of Ren’s physical features out of his head. He cleared his throat. “Captain Phasma. You have yourself a wager.”

“What’s the wager?”

Hux paused. “If I win, you deal with Ren’s tantrums for a fortnight.”

“And if _I_ win, you teach Mitaka’s aerobics class for a fortnight. And you have a week to seduce Ren.”

“A week?! Phasma, I rather think—”

“General. You have a week,” Phasma said firmly.

“All right, I have a week. Done.” They shook hands, sealing the deal.

Hux finished his daiquiri and headed to the bar. He was going to need several more drinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Yes, that was a Panic! At The Disco reference. I'm complete trash and I'm not sorry.  
> \- This is the full prompt: "Phasma and Hux have a bet when Hux says he can get anyone in bed. She says Ren of course, and Hux begrudgingly accepts the challenge. This can be hurt/feels if Kylo finds out, or just plain comedy if Kylo's more difficult than expected."  
> \- Read vmprsm's beautiful fic In the Glittering Morning [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7495941).


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Content warning: discussion of body image and negative self-perception**

Hux awoke the following morning with a dull ache in his head. He propped himself up on his forearms, lying on his stomach. His chronometer read 05:00. His shift started in an hour. Hux groaned and pushed his face into his pillow. To his dismay, he remembered everything from the night before, including the drunken bet he had made with Phasma. 

“I bet that I could seduce Kylo Ren,” Hux said aloud to nobody, as though saying it out loud would somehow change the agreement. “I bet that I could seduce Kylo Ren,” Hux repeated. Saying it a second time only solidified it. 

Hux sighed and reluctantly parted with his bed. He straightened out his sheets and remade his bed, complete with perfect hospital corners — an old habit from the Academy. Satisfied with his work, Hux stripped off his sleepwear, folding it neatly and placing it under his pillow. He headed towards his refresher to begin his daily routine.

Thanks to his high rank, Hux had the luxury of a water-based shower. He could use a sonic if he liked but more often than not, he chose the water. This was one of the very few times that Hux did not opt for the more efficient choice. Although the sonic was more effective, he somehow always felt cleaner when he washed with water. 

Standing under the flow of water, his thoughts drifted to Kylo Ren again. Resigning himself to the subject, Hux looked down at himself and wondered what Ren would think of him. Hux didn’t consider himself unattractive by any means; in fact, he took great care with his appearance and was pleased with what he saw. But right there in the shower, a sense of uncertainty crept into him. He quite regretted boasting to Phasma about his imaginary sexual prowess. 

While he was at the Academy, his life was training and instruction and combat and military history. It was abiding by the rules and never once being out of line. For Hux, sex simply wasn’t a priority. Now that he thought about it, he probably couldn’t have made General at such a young age if he had simply fucked around at school. Besides, the yelping and gasps of breath that he heard from his chambermates as they fucked one another sounded rather undignified. Hux had no wish to put himself in such a position.

It wasn’t that he was undesirable — fellow cadets had propositioned him more than once, but each time Hux had declined, citing lack of time. Occasionally, he took himself in hand when the time called for it, but Hux saw that as a practical matter and not a question of desire. 

Hux massaged shampoo into his hair and rinsed it out. He then set about washing his body. He had always been thin, but years of military training meant that he was a lot stronger than he looked. His legs were slender, but toned. His stomach muscles were not well-defined, but they were there, Hux thought as he rubbed soap over his torso. His wrists were fine, branching out into long fingers. Hux’s arms were pale and as skinny as the rest of him, but he knew he could put up a good fight if the situation warranted it. 

He moved his hand lower. His cock was nestled in the well-kept hair between his legs. Hux had never attempted to assess its quality before; to his knowledge, it did all the things a cock was supposed to do. Well, he didn’t know how well it would fare in a penetrative role, but he would soon find out. 

On most days, Hux was content with his body. Today, he felt horribly aware of all the flaws a potential sexual partner might find with it. What if he was too thin or too pale? What if his partner thought his dick too small and mocked him? What if he just looked like a disappointment for no identifiable reason? With a sinking feeling, Hux realised that there was a possibility that he could actually lose this bet. He turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, miserable. 

After towelling himself dry, Hux began to dress, putting on his confidence. He was grateful for his uniform’s shoulder pads, which helped him cut a more formidable figure. Hux smoothed down his uniform jacket and fastened his belt. Grey-blue eyes stared back at him in the mirror. He brushed his teeth and then set about combing gel through his hair while it was still wet. As Hux coaxed the strands into place, he felt that he looked more and more like himself.

Hux stepped back, more comfortable than he was a few minutes ago. He pressed two fingers to his temples. His headache was still there. Hux left the fresher and poured himself a glass of water from his bedroom kitchenette, taking two painkillers. 

As he went to exit his chamber, his comlink crackled. Hux frowned.

“General Hux,” he announced into the device. 

“Lieutenant Mitaka speaking. Reporting a system malfunction in the Dorne sector control room.” Hux thought he heard a note of panic in the Lieutenant’s voice, but thought little of it.

“What’s the cause?” Hux asked.

“It’s Kylo Ren, sir. He’s struck the console multiple times with his… with his weapon. The area will likely be offline for the rest of the day.” 

Ah. So that was the note of panic. 

“Thank you for your report, Lieutenant. Return to your station. I’m on my way. Hux out.” 

This day was off to a marvellous start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I think this is the third fic I've written that has a gratuitous description of Hux's daily routine. My Hux is very introspective when he's getting dressed.  
> \- If you'd like to read more about Hux getting his hair in order, you're welcome to read [this one](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6638821/chapters/15188032).  
> \- Read vmprsm's beautiful fic In the Glittering Morning [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7495941).


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I'm so happy with the positive response to this fic! Your comments and Kudos really do make my day, so please let me know what you think, if you feel like it.   
> \- Full credit for the concept goes to vmprsm. I'm super lucky to have had the chance to write about this!  
> \- Apparently today is National Ice Cream Day so I absolutely had to post this chapter today.
> 
>  **content warnings: food, eating, non-graphic violence**.

Hux strode into the Dorne sector control room to find the consoles scarred and smoking, panels slashed, and circuits broken. Nothing was damaged beyond repair, but it would be a costly and frustrating fix. In the corner, looming over his handiwork, was Kylo Ren. Masked and hooded, he hung over the room like a thundercloud. His lightsaber was still alight and spitting sparks. 

“Ren.”  
  
Kylo did not respond. Hux tried again. “Ren. What has this console done to incur your displeasure this early in the day?”  
  
Instead of replying, Kylo raised his weapon with both hands, and smashed it into the console again. It occurred to Hux that he had never actually borne witness to one of Kylo’s tantrums; he had only ever been present to see the results. He watched as Kylo struck repeatedly at the equipment, mesmerised by the outline of muscles that appeared in his arms as Ren gripped his saber. From his cursory knowledge of lightsabers, Hux knew that the blade was actually loops of plasma and that the weapon was nowhere near as heavy as Kylo made it look. He was using all his strength not to lift the blade, but to strike at the console with all the force he could muster. 

Kylo’s roar of rage brought Hux out of his contemplation. Ren still had not stopped his destruction. Hux stepped forward, put his arms around Kylo’s waist and pulled him away from the console. Despite the size difference, Hux had the element of surprise in his favour and he caught Kylo off balance.

Hux expected Kylo to be more difficult to move than he actually was, so he succeeded not only in dragging Kylo away from the panels, but toppling both of them to the ground, Hux on his back and Ren on top of him.  
  
Trapped beneath Ren and with one arm around Ren’s waist, Hux reached a hand up to deactivate Kylo’s lightsaber. The way Ren was thrashing with the blade still spitting was a recipe for a lost limb. Hux felt Ren’s abdominal muscles tense as he struggled in Hux’s grip. _At least I can safely say he has human arms and torso_ , Hux thought to himself. He released Ren, who stood up as fast as he could and was about to re-activate his lightsaber when Hux, also on his feet, stood on one leg and kicked Kylo Ren squarely in the chest with his right foot, sending Ren crashing back to the floor.  
  
Hux seized his chance and straddled Ren, placing his hands on Ren’s upper arms, pinning them to his sides and keeping Ren on the ground. Hux bent down, pressing his forehead to where he suspected Ren’s forehead was inside the mask. Even right up close, Hux couldn’t see any of Ren’s features though the helmet. He did his best to look intimidating, staring intently at the place where he guessed Ren’s eyes were most likely to be.

“Stop. Destroying. My. Ship.” Hux enunciated each word in his clipped accent with a grammarian’s precision. Hux scowled and sat up. Crossing his arms, he launched into his reprimand. 

“I’ve told you time and time again that _this_ behaviour—” Hux gestured towards the wreckage, “—is unacceptable. We’re on the Finalizer, the flagship of the First Order fleet and destroying our equipment does nothing more than hinder us all. If you want to map to Skywalker, then I suggest you — ah!”

Hux didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence because Ren shoved Hux roughly off his lap and got up, leaving Hux on the floor. 

“Save your speeches for the troops, General. I don’t take orders from you,” said Ren, in his mask-distorted voice. With that, he adjusted his robes, re-clipped his lightsaber to his belt, and stomped away. 

Hux lay there, momentarily stunned. He didn’t realise he was breathing so heavily until Ren was gone. What was more unsettling was that the sensation of Ren under him hadn’t been entirely unpleasant. No matter how much he hated him, Hux had to admit that what he’d seen of Kylo Ren’s body was impressive. He recalled the feeling of Ren’s chiselled abs under his hands and the way that the muscles in his arms showed when he tensed them. If he succeeded in seducing Ren, it might not be an entirely terrible experience… 

Hux cut himself off right there, before his thoughts could turn to anything more indecent. If anything, he was even further away from seducing Ren than he was yesterday. Now that he had antagonised Ren, Hux was going to have to work twice as hard to make up for it. Well, technically Ren had antagonised him, but Hux decided that the distinction was immaterial, for the consequences were the same.

Sighing, Hux got to his feet, thankful that there were no staff present to witness his painfully literal downfall. Rubbing his back and in a spectacularly foul mood, he stormed towards the bridge. 

* * *

The rest of Hux’s morning did nothing to improve his mood. Not only did he have to co-ordinate repairs for the room that Ren trashed, but an unfortunate subordinate informed him that the five morale sessions that he recorded the day before had not been saved and that he would have to do them again. To add to that, the officers scheduled to give a presentation on the fuel cell structure of the soon-to-be Starkiller Base were late to their meeting and entirely unprepared to answer Hux’s questions. He dismissed them in disgrace. 

Heading to the mess hall for lunch, Hux desperately hoped that his afternoon would be better than his morning. When he entered, he spied Ren in the corner, sitting there with his mask on. _How in Malachor does he eat with that thing on?_ Hux wondered. _Maybe he doesn’t eat at all and just feeds off the Force, or some other bantha fodder_. Ren looked in Hux’s direction; Hux ignored him and went to retrieve his food.

First Order rations were bland and unexciting, but that meant they were predictable and efficient, so Hux was satisfied with them. He ate the vegetables, which looked less suspicious than the chunk of what Hux guessed was meat. He prodded the lump with his fork and decided he was even less inclined to eat it than he was to sleep with Ren. Setting his plate aside, Hux went in search of dessert.

Dessert on the _Finalizer_ was a whole different matter. Everyone knew about the General’s fondness for ice cream. If they thought it odd, none of the officers dared say anything for fear of reprimand and the potential deprivation of frosty treats. When Hux had assumed command of the _Finalizer_ , one of the first things he did was add a line item in the budget for ice cream — “It’s good for inspiring loyalty and positive reinforcement, Supreme Leader,” Hux had said — and ensured that there was always a selection of three rotating flavours.

Today’s choices were chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla. Hux liked all three, but vanilla was his favourite. Just as he went to scoop his ice cream into a cone, he caught sight of Ren again. Then Hux had an idea.  
  
Switching his choice from vanilla to strawberry, Hux took three scoops and moved to sit at the table opposite Ren. He looked Ren right in the visor, stuck out his tongue, and took a slow lick of his ice cream from the cone to the top scoop. He’d seen it done in a holoporn vid once — Hux had thought it terribly unsanitary and a gross misuse of ice cream at first, but by the end of the video, Hux was trembling and panting, his softening dick in his hand, his thighs and chest sticky with come. At this very moment, Hux thought, he was outdoing the video because pink was a decidedly more erotic colour than the pistachio green featured there. Besides, he didn’t want to risk the connotations of vanilla, no matter how true they were.

Hux continued his slow demolition of the ice cream, not once breaking contact with Ren’s visor. Interestingly, Hux noted, Ren had also not yet looked away. Hux chose to take that as a sign that Ren was enjoying the show, so he changed it up a little. He pressed his lips to the ice cream and moved his mouth over it in what he hoped was a sensual manner. He withdrew and then licked the dessert from his lips as slowly and attentively as he had licked it before. Hux repeated the process, rubbing his lips together as though the ice cream was lipstick. Hux hummed appreciatively, savouring the sweet taste of his dessert.

Just as Hux went in for another lick, Ren rose abruptly, scraped his chair back, and walked stiffly out of the mess hall.

Hux watched him go. When Ren was out of sight, Hux began his analysis of the situation. _Inconclusive,_ he thought. _There’s no feedback mechanism so it’s impossible to tell_. However, Hux noted that Ren’s stiff gait meant that either he was too shocked to move properly, or that he was attempting to conceal a raging erection. Both outcomes were good, Hux reasoned, because there’s no way that Ren didn’t notice his little show.  
  
Hux ate the rest of his ice cream and bit into the cone with a crunch.

* * *

Hux had finished his ice cream cone by the time Phasma joined him. Tray in hand, she sat down and removed her helmet.

Hux spoke first. “Captain.”

“General.”

Several seconds of silence passed as Phasma ate her food. After a few moments, Phasma paused and turned to Hux.

“May I speak freely, sir?”

Knowing what was coming next, Hux resigned himself to Phasma’s interrogation. “Yes, you may.” Hux lowered his voice and continued: “And before you ask — no, I have not yet slept with Kylo Ren, but rest assured that it will be done. It hasn’t even been one day and I’m well on my way. When it happens, you’ll be the first to know. I’ll fuck him and then be done with him for two weeks, and it will be glorious,” Hux declared.

Phasma smirked. “As you say, General. I wasn’t going to ask about that, not specifically anyway. I had a different question for you. But now that you mention it—”

“— That’s all right then! No need to discuss it further. What was your question?”

“To confirm: I _do_ have your permission to speak freely?”  
  
“Yes, you do. Ask the question!” Hux snapped impatiently. 

“I saw what you were doing to that ice cream,” Phasma said, entirely straight-faced. “Now. Answer me honestly. Have you ever had sex before?”

Hux blinked and managed to school his expression into neutrality. “Of course I have. I’m very confident in my experience,” he said flatly.

He didn’t fool Phasma for one second. “General. Don’t lie to me. If you intend to slobber all over Ren in the same way you did your dessert, then—”

“What would you know about that? You don’t even like cock!” Hux exclaimed defensively.

“Oh, I like cock, I just don’t like men,” Phasma corrected. “Anyway, General, I’ll take your word for it. I must say that I’m looking forward to seeing you teach aerobics.” 

“Leave it to me, Phasma. I assure you that I’ll have him by the end of the week. I _will_ win this bet,” Hux stated. He changed the subject. “Are you free this evening?” 

“Until 20:00, yes.”  
  
“What are you doing at 20:00?”

“I’ve scheduled a communication with my girlfriend.”

“My shift ends at 18:00. Do you fancy a bout or two? I have a few frustrations to work out.”  
  
Phasma grinned. “I thought you were saving those for Ren.”

“Captain!”

“You walked right into that one.”

“I suppose I did. Do you want to spar or not?”  
  
“I could use a couple of rounds.”

“All right. Meet me at training facility Xesh Five at 18:15.”

“See you then.”

Hux got up and left Phasma to finish her food. As he walked away, he couldn’t help but contemplate the cosmic joke that was his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- There's going to be little to no consistency in chapter length.  
> \- Phasma's line about cocks and men is from a conversation I had with a friend. We're all queer and that's something they said to me.  
> \- I'm updating the tags as I go along. Let me know if this system doesn't work for you and I'll figure out another way to do it.  
> \- Read vmprsm's beautiful fic In the Glittering Morning [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7495941)!


	4. Chapter 4

The end of Hux’s shift could not come fast enough. As soon as his chrono hit 18:00, Hux all but ran off the bridge and back to his quarters, where he threw his workout gear into his duffle bag and headed to Xesh Five. 

Just as Hux reached the door, his comlink blinked.

“General Hux,” he stated.  
  
“Hello, General,” said Phasma’s voice from the other end of the channel. “All simulators on the second level are down. We suspect they’re affected by the same bug. It’s vital that they’re restored within the hour so the next cohort of troops can train. I’m sorry to cancel our session,” Phasma said.

“That’s quite all right,” Hux said. “We can reschedule. I trust that the situation is under control.”

“It’s more than manageable. However, I must remain here to ensure that no loss of data occurs.”  
  
“Fine. Hux out.”  
  
Hux ended the comm and opened the training facility doors. Phasma or none, he still wanted to work out. After all the stress of his workday, Hux was ready to run until he collapsed. 

The sight that greeted him could not have been less welcome. The room was empty with the exception of one person in the very centre, pounding his fists into a punching bag. He was wearing an absurd black crop top with suspenders and loose black trousers and for some unfathomable reason he still had his mask on.  
  
Hux wanted to scream in exasperation. _Kylo fucking Ren, again!_  
  
If Kylo noticed Hux enter the room, he didn’t show it and continued to hit the punching bag with impeccable accuracy. Hux watched and felt a twinge of envy at the sight of Ren’s body, his fingers twitching at his sides as he remembered the feeling of Ren in his arms that morning.

As much as he hated the man, Hux had to admit that his body was nothing short of incredible. For want of a better phrase, the words that came to mind were _positively shredded_. 

Hux turned his back on Ren out of spite. In such close proximity to him, insecurity and doubt crept up on Hux once again. Hux couldn’t have that, not if he were going to sleep with Kylo Ren. Hux knew he needed to build confidence in himself, at least enough to signal to Ren that he thought himself desirable.

Reaching for his comlink once again, Hux connected to Mitaka’s channel.  
  
“Lieutenant. This is General Hux speaking.”  
  
“Do you need something, sir?” 

“As a matter of fact, yes. Am I correct in my belief that you teach aerobics?”  
  
Mitaka paused at the end of the line. Hux heard him inhale sharply. “I do, sir,” he said.  
  
“Excellent. Come to training facility Xesh Five and come as though you were about to teach your aerobics class.”  
  
“I must apologise, General; I’m afraid I’m occupied. I’m overseeing the maintenance of the ventral cannons and I cannot leave my statio—”  
  
“That’s an order, Lieutenant!”  
  
“Yes, General!”

“Hux out.”

Hux put the device back in his bag and headed to the changing room. Locking himself in one of the stalls, he proceeded to strip out of his stiff uniform and into his exercise clothes. Although he had never done aerobics before, he had done similar workout routines and knew enough to know that he needed to wear something tight and flexible.  
  
The leotard was vertically striped in two different shades of yellow and reached Hux’s mid-thighs. The purchase of the leotard had been Hux’s choice entirely and nobody had ever questioned him on it. Even so, Hux had a response prepared in the event that his fashion choices were questioned: he’d throw the inquisitor out of the nearest airlock.  
  
Hux pulled on purple legwarmers and clipped a matching purple bum bag around his hips. He turned to the full-length mirror in the stall and struck a pose, placing his feet wide apart. He put his hands on his hips and thrust them out. Hux pouted and ran a hand through his hair, angling his face so that the light accentuated his high cheekbones. He blinked and parted his lips slightly. He raised an eyebrow.

 _General Hux, you handsome devil_ , he thought to himself. He was fucking _irresistible_. He bared his teeth and growled at his reflection. Hux took two steps back and lunged at the mirror, keeping his back straight and his arms out to maintain his balance.  
  
Resuming his prior stance, Hux paused for a moment before turning to the side. He placed his hands on his knees and bent them, as if he were skiing. He stuck his butt out as best he could and smirked enigmatically into the mirror. He expected to feel exposed in the form-fitting leotard, but he found that it actually suited him, clinging to his slender frame. _Beautiful_.  
  
Reaching back to place both hands behind his head, Hux shifted his weight to his right leg, sticking out his hips and torso. Hux was about to do a full twirl in his stall when he heard the clicking of an officer’s heels against the changing room floor. Hux stopped and folded his uniform neatly, stowing it away in his bag and headed back to the facility. 

* * *

 

Hux strode into the training room as confidently as he strode down the bridge on a daily basis. Not sparing so much as a glance for Ren, Hux left his bag under a bench at the edge of the room and waited for Mitaka. 

He did not have to wait long. In accordance with his orders, Mitaka had come dressed for aerobics. Like Hux, he wore a leotard, but his was light blue with the First Order insignia on it in pastel pink. He had forgone the bum bag and legwarmers, but was wearing sweatband in the same light blue around his head. Mitaka saluted in greeting.  
  
“As you were,” Hux said. “How did you come to teach an aerobics class?” Hux asked, getting to the point. He knew exactly how Mitaka had ended up teaching an aerobics class, but he wanted to hear the report in Mitaka’s own words.  
  
“As you know, Captain Phasma has been reviewing all programs under her purview and she suggested aerobics to mitigate a trend of weight gain without corresponding muscle mass in the troopers. I happened to overhear that conversation and I approached her and asked if she had an instructor in mind. She said that she didn’t, not yet, and I volunteered. I like — I have experience with the, ah, discipline from my Academy days.” Mitaka shuffled his feet.

Hux narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Aerobics wasn’t part of the Academy curriculum, Lieutenant. If it had been, I would also have received instruction.”  
  
“That’s the thing, sir. For me, it was more of — it was an extra-curricular activity. It started as a way to relieve stress before the routine tests. But then I found a certain affinity with it and I began to practice more regularly. One day, my chambermate walked in as I was practicing. Truthfully, sir, I was concerned that he would mock me, but instead he said he wished to join me. He was rather enthusiastic and I invited him to practice with me again the next day, which he did. The following week, a group of cadets found me and asked if I did aerobics. I told them yes and prepared to engage in fisticuffs, but they asked if they could come to a session. I said yes and before too long, there was a group of us who did aerobics every week.”

“I see.” Hux paused, tilting his head back so he could look at Mitaka’s face from on the floor. “I wish to learn aerobics immediately and you will instruct me.”  
  
“Of course, sir.” Mitaka tried to keep his excitement from showing in his voice and on his face. “The best way to do this is if you stand opposite me so you can mirror me. My right is your left and vice-versa,” Mitaka continued, suddenly very sure of himself. “Oh, another thing: an exercise of this nature requires a soundtrack!” With that, he clapped his hands twice and the music started, a lively tune with a consistent beat. Although Hux didn’t make a habit of listening to music in this style, he found that he liked it. The sounds were predictable and the rhythm was orderly, both of which suited him just fine.  
  
Hux stole a furtive glance at Ren, who was taking a time out on the bench. He moved to the right ever so slightly, making sure to align his ass in the centre of Ren’s field of vision. Hux smirked to himself. Mitaka caught sight of the grin on Hux’s face and beamed back at him.  
  
“Right! So we’re going to do big steps from side-to-side,” Mitaka said, bending at the waist a little as he did so.  
  
Hux followed dutifully and decided that it was a little early to deploy his arsenal. He copied Mitaka as he slowed his steps to incorporate a glide. Hux could see why Mitaka had done this as stress relief; he felt the tension he had pent up throughout the day seep away as he moved in time to the music. 

“Great! Now bring your knees up as high as you can!” Mitaka exclaimed, waving his arms. “Use your arms to balance it out. Just like that, yes!” Hux pushed his hair out of his face and complied. “And another set! One! Two! Three! Four!” shouted Mitaka.  
  
Mitaka was in astoundingly good shape, Hux observed. All First Order officers had to be fit, but Mitaka was barely breaking a sweat and while Hux could match his pace, it was a challenge.

“Okay! Bring your right knee up and touch it with your left hand! Same thing with your left knee and your right hand,” Mitaka ordered. “Oh, you need to follow through with your hand, like this—” Mitaka said, touching his knee and pointing in the direction of the high corners of the training room.

 Hux snuck another glance at Ren, who had not moved from the bench. Though Hux could barely see Ren, he could have sworn he saw him shift a little where he sat.  
  
“General!” Mitaka called, “Focus now!” Hux turned his attention back to Mitaka, who had resumed the sliding motion from before. “Excellent! Now turn that slide into a squat. Keep your knees in the direction of your feet,” Mitaka said.  
  
_Now I’ll do it_ , Hux thought to himself. Hux obeyed Mitaka’s command and lowered himself gratuitously slow, into a squat. He knew that his outfit would only enhance the curvature of his butt in this position and he was pointing it right at Ren. He remained like that as long as he was able, then rose and repeated the move. Yes, this was the perfect way to show off his physical prowess to Ren and get a workout at the same time.  
  
“And again, a little faster now,” Mitaka coaxed. “That’s it! Excellent form, sir! And now let’s add a twist,” he said, shaking his hips from side to side and squatting again. Hux followed suit and wiggled his hips in a wide circle, as though he were hula-hooping in slow motion.  
  
“Just a twist General — no need to try and circumnavigate the first Death Star with your hips! Like this,” Mitaka said, demonstrating again. “Now march it out!” Mitaka marched on the spot as though he were a Stormtrooper heading into combat. “Now slow it down! We’re almost done,” Mitaka announced.  
  
Hux slowed his pace in time with Mitaka, who gradually ground to a halt. Mitaka stopped and immediately began his cool-down routine. Hux chose to bend over to touch his toes, which he executed perfectly, to his surprise. Hux took several deep breaths. “Lieutenant. Your skills in this area are commendable,” Hux said.  
  
“Thank you. You’re a natural yourself, General,” Mitaka replied smoothly.  
  
“No need to do a report; I shall let Phasma know that your classes have my approval.”

“Thank you, sir!” Mitaka’s face lit up with pride.  
  
“You’re dismissed,” Hux said. As the doors closed behind Mitaka, Hux plonked himself on the bench and took out a cloth from his bum bag to wipe his face. When he looked up from the cloth, he almost gasped in surprise, for he found himself face-to-face with Kylo Ren. Or rather, Kylo Ren’s mask.  
  
Kylo tilted his head quizzically. Hux’s eyes flickered with panic for a fraction of a second before he neutralised his expression. He pushed his face closer to Ren’s mask.  
  
“Do you want something, Ren?” Hux asked coolly.

“I was about to ask you the same thing,” Kylo sassed. He paused for effect and leaned in, so close that he was almost touching Hux’s forehead. “Did you really think I wouldn’t notice your pathetic attempts to get my attention today? Lapping at your ice cream, waving your flat arse in my face, in front of a subordinate! I thought you of all people would at least be subtle about it.”  
  
Hux was grateful that his face was already flushed from exertion; it made his blush less obvious. “I have no idea what you mean. If the sight of me eating and working out has captured your attention, that’s not a testament to my non-existent efforts.” Hux considered addressing the remark about the shape of his posterior, but decided against it; Ren couldn’t know that he cared.  
  
“Careful, General,” Kylo cautioned. He edged Hux’s thighs apart and knelt between them with one knee, his other foot still on the floor. Instinctively, Hux thought to back away, but he was already sitting up against the wall and couldn’t move any further. Kylo’s knee was far too close to his stirring cock, and his leotard left very little to the imagination. “You don’t want to make an _embarrassment_ of yourself,” Kylo said, his modulated voice deep and threatening. Kylo laid a hand on Hux’s knee. “That might happen sooner than you think.”  
  
Kylo slid his hand up Hux’s thigh, over his chest, moving tantalisingly close to one of Hux’s nipples. Kylo moved his fingers to Hux’s throat and Hux thought for a moment that Kylo would choke him — until he kept going, tilting Hux’s chin up. Kylo looked into Hux’s clear blue eyes, widened with shock.  
  
Suddenly, he backed off and strode out of the facility without another word, leaving Hux with his own hand pressed to the spot on his knee where Kylo had touched him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I psych myself up by posing in front of my mirror and taking selfies on a daily basis. There's no way that Hux doesn't do this too.  
> \- [This](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3xb-RcN-QU) is the aerobics video I used for reference.  
> \- Read vmprsm's beautiful fic In the Glittering Morning [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7495941).


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for sticking with this fic! I've had the best time writing it and it's been lovely to see other people enjoying it too. I hope this chapter makes up for the disaster that was the last update. I said that there was going to be no consistency in chapter length, so this one is accidentally half the length of the entire fic. Oops. Well, enjoy! Oh, and there's a "post-credits" scene, if you will. 
> 
> **content warnings: Hux kisses Kylo without his consent and makes a move that Kylo is uncomfortable with, anxiety attack, crying, descriptions of sexual acts, a beautiful nsfw illustration.**

Hux sat immobile on the bench, as if Ren’s hand had frozen him in place. He remained like that for a few moments before emitting a low groan and covering his face in his hands. _Shit, he noticed_ , Hux thought. _Shit, shit, shit!_ Hux mentally berated himself. How could he have thought that Ren wouldn’t notice? Ren was right; Hux had made a spectacularly pathetic attempt to get his attention and —  
  
_He noticed_.  
  
Hux paused mid-thought.  
  
_He noticed! Wasn’t that the point?_ Besides, if Ren has the nerve to insult Hux’s arse, that meant he was looking! Hux grinned as though the Supreme Leader had complimented him. He threw back his head and cackled, entirely satisfied with the situation and revelling in its irony. Hux almost wished that Ren would come back so that Hux could deliver his snarky quip.  
  
Alas, Ren did not return. Hux collected his things and headed back to the changing room with an ever-so-slight spring in his step. _The time has come for decisive action_ , Hux thought as he pranced away.

* * *

The next morning, Hux arrived to his shift on the bridge later than usual, which for Hux was still half a standard hour earlier than he was due to begin. Everyone noticed this schedule diversion but nobody dared ask the reason. As Hux paced back and forth, the officers at their sunken workstations could have sworn that they saw a hint of a smile playing about the General’s lips.  
  
By midday, the staff were trading their observations in whispers throughout the mess hall.  
  
“General Hux appears to be in a good mood, have you noticed too?”  
  
“Yeah! There was a circuit shortage in the Dorne sector control room and I could have sworn I heard him humming. Humming!”  
  
“I sent him a report with a typo in it by accident and he didn’t chew me out! He just marked it and sent it back. He even commented that the report was ‘more than sufficient.’ That’s as close to a ‘good’ as I’ve ever got!”  
  
“General Hux patted me on the shoulder this morning! I mean, it was a bit awkward, but it happened!”  
  
“No way!”  
  
“I swear on my loyalty to the Order it’s true!”  
And on it went. These whispers were not lost on Hux, who was content to let his staff enjoy themselves as long as it didn’t interfere with their productivity and overall discipline. He trusted them, and he needed them to be happy if he were to execute his plan at the end of his shift. Thus, the Finalizer cruised its merry way through the Galaxy.  
  
By the time Hux’s shift at the bridge was over, a feeling of trepidation had seeped its way into his mind. Nevertheless, Hux’s determination to end this fiasco once and for all won out over his anticipation. He wrung his hands together for the remaining quarter hour before the end of his shift. As soon as it was over, Hux walked as slowly and with as measured a pace as he could manage under the circumstances. When he finally reached his quarters, he removed his gloves to wash the sweat from his palms. Hux replaced his gloves and snatched up a small package he had assembled that morning and left on his bed. Slipping the package into his coat pocket, Hux retrieved his hat, straightened his back, pushed his hair back into place, took a deep breath and marched out, his heart a-flutter with anxiety.

* * *

Hux pressed against the wall like a distressed starfish, his back flat and his limbs splayed.  
  
_I can’t believe I’m doing this_ , Hux thought to himself. He edged along the length of the wall, lowered his arms and bent down gingerly, as if to unstick his back from the surface. Hux craned his neck to verify that the sector was deserted.

He had taken precautions, ensuring that all Stormtrooper divisions were practicing drills and that all officers and crew had been dismissed for the evening — a decision that most of them chalked up to Hux’s good mood, and one that they were happy to accept. The staff were therefore likely to either be in the officers’ lounge or in their quarters, leaving Hux to his own devices.  
  
But there were always subordinates trying to prove themselves: those who would go out of their way to work more than their allotted hours. Little did they know that Hux frowned upon such transparent efforts to suck up to him — and besides, working when one was dismissed showed a lack of ability to spot an opportunity and poor resource allocation on the officer’s part. 

It was still entirely possible that he might encounter an obsequious officer on deck, even after generously giving them a night off. Hux did a slow scan of the sector before him. He was relieved when there was nobody to be found.  
  
Seizing his chance, Hux sprinted across to the other side of the sector, his dash just long enough to elevate his heart rate and to cause sweat to dampen his uniform collar. Part of that, Hux knew, were his nerves. Breaking into Kylo Ren’s personal chambers was no small feat even by Hux’s standards, and as much as he wasn’t afraid of Kylo, the Knight was wont to snap at even the slightest provocation and now here Hux was, going out of his way to invade his personal space.  
  
Hux swallowed as he contemplated the consequences. _Ten times the destruction to First Order property_ , he estimated grimly, _and ten times the repair cost too. At least if I win, those are Phasma’s problems._ On his end, there was actually very little to fear. Slowing his pace to a mild trot, Hux rounded the corner to the corridor leading to Kylo Ren’s rooms. Here was where Hux especially did not want to be seen; he would be able to get away with hurrying to Ren’s quarters without explanation by virtue of his rank, but he could do next to nothing about the rumours that would inevitably fly afterwards.  

Breaking into a run again, Hux hurtled down towards the blast doors of Ren’s meditation chamber. He was just about to start slowing down when his feet betrayed him and he tripped, as though caught by an invisible ankle-level wire. Hux went down, his coat tails flying absurdly behind him. Hux stretched his hands out in front of himself to break the fall. Before he could look up, he heard the hiss of the blast doors opening and saw the hem of a tattered black robe in his peripheral vision.  
  
_Well_ , Hux thought, _you have two options: stare at the floor and have that be tantamount to an admission of guilt, or look him in the face_. Opting for the latter, Hux steeled his expression as best he could from his position on the floor and raised his head to meet Kylo Ren’s gaze, his masked head cocked to one side. 

“General Hux. What brings you to my personal chambers in such a hurry?” asked Ren, mockingly.

Had Hux been a man of lesser pride, he would have groaned and buried his face in his hands. However, he, Hux, was a General of the First Order and did not kill his way to the top to be humiliated before some Force-sensitive, laser sword-wielding maniac in impractical clothing. In spite of himself, he blushed.  
  
Hux got up and smoothed down the front of his uniform. He adjusted his hat. “I… I have something I wish to discuss with you. Something urgent, hence the lack of advance notice,” he said shakily. 

Kylo Ren smiled. Though Hux could not see Kylo’s expression, he heard the amusement in his voice. “I see. Well, you’d better come inside, General.”

* * *

Hux stepped into Kylo’s chambers. Everything from the walls to the floor to the furniture, was black. The only patch of light in the room was a single beam that shone in one direction, illuminating a stand filled with dust and looked like a twisted sculpture embedded in it. Hux suppressed a shudder; that volume of dirt would have disgusted a sanitation team. _At least it’s contained_ , Hux thought.  
  
Hux hadn’t exactly known what to expect; the Finalizer had been operational long before he took charge of it and there were secrets of the ship that even he did not know. Ren’s taste in décor was consistent with the rest of his aesthetic: terrible on all counts.  
  
Kylo sat in the only chair in the room. He sat with his right foot on his left knee and leaned back, his left arm stretched behind his head and his right hand trailing, teasing, between his legs. “So, General, what is it you wanted to say to me in such _intimate_ a setting?” Kylo purred through his mask.  
  
“I came to address what happened yesterday,” Hux said, clasping his hands behind his back so that Ren wouldn’t notice him fidgeting. “In the training facility.”  
  
Kylo nodded slowly, a sign for Hux to continue. “You — you touched me.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Hux regretted them. He had a whole speech prepared, it wasn’t supposed to go like this, he just had to go and skip to the middle and blurt out the entire point, what a fucking idiot, he hadn’t fucked up a speech like this since before he want to the Academy, and if his father could see him now —  
  
A light hissing sound drew Hux out of his panicked spiral. Ren had uncrossed his legs and was reaching up behind his head, roughly where Hux would have guessed his ears were, if he had humanoid features. Hux watched, his heart beating so loudly and so fast that the noise filled the room and he prayed that Ren could not hear it.  
  
Kylo Ren removed his mask, revealing a shockingly ordinary face. _Stars_ , Hux thought. _He’s human. He’s actually human_. Ren had a long face, unfairly well-kept wavy hair — _not regulation_ Hux thought bitterly — and deep brown eyes, glittering and almost fluid in the weak light of the room. It was almost impossible to believe that this tragic, youthful face was what was underneath that mask, that this was the Kylo Ren who slaughtered villages, burned cities to the ground, wiped out populations, looted ruins, made officers and troops shrink away, stopped blaster fire with a flick of his wrist.  
  
This man was Kylo Ren. Hux didn’t think he looked any older than him, and it was possible that Ren was a few years younger. Ren stomped over and slammed his helmet into the dust receptacle with an unnecessarily loud clang. Even without the mask, Ren had a good couple of inches on Hux height-wise. He came and stood so close that they were almost toe-to-toe.  
  
“Yes, General. I touched you,” Ren said, in a smooth voice almost as low as the sounds that came from his vocoder. “Your point being…? I wasn’t the one gallivanting around the ship all day practically begging to be noticed.”  
  
_Fuck_.  
  
Hux didn’t have to wait for Ren’s likely snarky remark; he knew his face was bright red at this point. He could feel his cock, tenting his trousers at half-mast already. Hux swallowed. This wasn’t in his plan, he hadn’t mapped this situation out. But there’s always a way to turn everything into an opportunity and what did he have to lose?  
  
“You made the first move,” Hux said quietly. “That means it’s my turn now.” In one swift motion that sent his hat toppling to the ground, Hux pressed his lips to Ren’s, one hand in his hair and the other on his bicep. Hux kissed with determination, hungrily, but with complete inelegance. Hux opened his mouth sloppily, and tried to get his tongue in Ren’s mouth when Ren suddenly shoved Hux off him.  
  
“What the hells was that?” Kylo shouted. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

Hux leaned back against the wall where Kylo had pushed him, breathing heavily, from a mixture of exhilaration and panic. How could he have ever believed this would work? He was foolish to even have attempted it. This wasn’t a game, this was someone else’s life — Kylo Ren was a _person_ underneath all that. Hux had no right to simply take what he wanted.  
  
“Ren. I — I’m sorry. I apologise,” Hux mumbled. “Let us never speak of this again,” he said, his voice tremulous. There was nothing to do but leave; even if he miraculously did end up sleeping with Ren, it could be nothing but humiliating and shameful. Hux felt as though something had crawled down his throat and settled in his stomach and was kicking incessantly.  
  
Shaking, Hux went to pick up his hat, but he found it floated to him. He turned around and Ren had returned to his chair, his arm extended. Hux stared back, too flustered to speak.  
  
“General.” Kylo’s tone was calm and gave no indication of his earlier rage. “Stay where you are, and tell me what is going on,” he said evenly.  
  
Kylo didn’t have to say that he would know whether or not Hux was lying; they both knew it. Hux decided to be honest with Kylo, hadn’t he already done enough damage?  
  
“I had,” Hux took a breath. “Sorry, I—” Hux held out his shaking hands so that Kylo could see.  
  
“Take your time,” Kylo murmured.  
  
Hux let several long second pass as he collected his thoughts and slowed his breathing.  
  
“I had this, this childish contest, a wager, with Captain Phasma. It started the day before yesterday.” Hux paused, preparing himself for the next part. “I had told her that I could get anyone in bed, and she suggested that I try you and I agreed to it. So the next day, well you know what happened.” _And now, I actually, genuinely want to sleep with you_ , Hux finished in his head.  
  
“What was the wager?”  
  
Hux forced himself to look Kylo in the eye. He deserved that much. “If I succeed, she handles your… your _outbursts_ for two weeks. If I fail, I teach Mitaka’s aerobics class for two weeks.”  
  
Hux saw a flicker of emotion flare and die in Ren’s eyes at that. Hux refused to allow himself to break eye contact. He swallowed, his mouth dry all of a sudden.  
  
“Well now. This puts me in the decisive position,” Ren stated, giving no hint of either approval or disapproval. “If what I saw yesterday was anything to judge by, you teaching Mitaka’s classes would be a fine spectacle indeed.”  
  
“Then again, the outcome of your ‘success’ as you call it. You don’t think you can handle me, General? You thought you could get me in bed with you, that you could handle _that_ , but you can’t handle me on the daily?”  
  
“No—” Hux began, “I mean _yes_ , Ren. It’s not that I can’t handle you, as I have to do that all the damn time. I just wanted something practical to come out of this,” Hux gestured around him. “I wanted a break, Ren. I’m tired of arranging repairs, racking up credits upon credits in damage costs. I’m tired of fighting you constantly and telling you to stop day in and day out, knowing that you won’t.”  
  
Tears prickled at the edge of Hux’s eyes. He blinked furiously to stop them, he was too proud to wipe them away in front of Kylo. “And yet, I still…” Hux trailed off. He finally broke his gaze with Ren and stared at the floor, tears falling past the bridge of his nose and onto the cold ground.  
  
Hux did not know how long he stood there, but he felt that he was nearing the end of his crying spell by the time Ren spoke again.  
  
“General.”  
  
Hux looked up, his eyes puffy and his skin blotchy and tear-stained. He looked back at Kylo, resigned and defeated.  
  
“Come here,” Kylo said softly. “A little closer. Right here,” Kylo continued as Hux edged his way to Ren’s seat.  
  
“Listen, General — Hux. I’m calling you Hux. I already knew about the wager.”  
  
Hux stood up straight, horrified. “You what?!” he nearly shrieked. “H—” the question died on his lips. He wasn’t going to give Ren the satisfaction of admitting he didn’t know show how knew.  
  
“Hux. I was in the same fucking room as you when you made the bet,” Ren said, cracking a small smile. “I’m also not as stupid as you think.”  
  
“You were on the other side of the room! And Phasma and I were whispering!”  
  
“You were both practically yelling, drunk I suppose.”  
  
“I hadn’t even finished my drink!”  
  
“It doesn’t matter,” Kylo said, pointing to his temple. “Even if you weren’t so belligerent, I’d have been able to figure it out.”  
  
“Your Force can do that? There’s no way you could get into my head without me noticing. I’ve seen your interrogating prisoners,” Hux said. “It’s painful. I’d notice.”  
  
“I’m learning new ways, developing new strengths every day. I might be able to do now what I couldn’t two weeks ago.”  
  
Hux stayed silent. He was thoroughly embarrassed and he expected to feel awful inside, but he felt as if the weight in the in his stomach and the tension in his throat were gone.  
  
“I’m not opposed to sleeping with you as I suspect you want to. But it has nothing to do with your wager, it’s my decision, if it’s yours too,” Kylo continued.  
  
“I don’t want to sleep with you if you’re only ‘not opposed’ to it. I didn’t come here looking for a pity fuck,” Hux shot back. “I convinced myself that there was a chance that you might find me as attractive as… as attractive as I find you,” Hux admitted, nearly whispering. “I thought it might actually work.” _If Ren can read minds and I’ve already dug myself deeper than the core of Starkiller, I’d rather he find out from me and not through picking my brains_ , Hux reasoned.  
  
“It can still work, Hux. I want you, too,” Kylo said, cupping Hux’s chin with one hand and connecting their lines of vision once more. “If I may…?” Kylo asked, gently pushing at Hux’s coat, which he just noticed the man was still wearing. Kylo chalked it up to the lack of clothes hangers in his chamber.  
  
“You may,” Hux replied.  
  
“Are you sure? I’m not doing anything unless we both want to.”  
  
“Yes,” Hux said. When Kylo said nothing and made no move to continue, Hux realised.  
  
“And you?” he asked Kylo. “Do you want to… to do this? Partake in sexual intercourse with me,” Hux said, a little too quickly.  
  
Kylo laughed, a deep and rumbling sound that Hux had never heard before. “Yes, you idiot. Yes I do.”

* * *

Kylo led Hux into his sleeping quarters. They were nothing special, Hux observed, very much like his own.  
  
Hux’s own quarters had touches of personality in them, conservatively of course. Hux’s desk sported a bust of Grand Moff Tarkin and the walls were tastefully decorated with Hux’s awards and portraits of other brilliant Imperial war heroes. Hux owned a collection of holodramas and holorecords, mostly about military strategy and history, but there were a couple among them that were simply for entertainment. In the corner of the room was a holoprojector — nobody knew Hux had one. He didn’t want anyone to know he exchanged transmissions with his father, still teaching at an academy in the Outer Rim.  
  
Kylo Ren’s room bore no such traces. Hux immediately scanned the place for a piece of evidence, anything, that would give even a clue as to what Ren did in his spare time or what he was interested in. But there was nothing. For a moment, Hux wondered whether Ren actually had possessions. He wouldn’t be surprised if not — perhaps he just entertained himself with “the Force.”  
  
“Hux.” Kylo’s voice pulled him out of his reverie. “Are you all right?”  
  
“Quite. Let’s get on with it, then.” Hux perched himself on the edge of Ren’s bed, closed his eyes, and puckered his lips, waiting for Ren to reciprocate. Hux cracked an eye open when he didn’t feel a response from Ren.  
  
Ren was staring at him. “You haven’t done this before, have you.” It wasn’t a question.  
  
Hux shook his head almost inperceptively.  
  
Kylo was taken aback, but not utterly shocked. Well, nobody could say that the General wasn’t ambitious.  
  
“All right. If we’re gonna do this, you’re gonna have to trust me,” Kylo said. “If you don’t like something or if you do like something or if you want to change something in any way, you let me know, okay?”  
  
“Mhm,” Hux agreed. He removed his gloves and stored them neatly under the bed. He did the same with Kylo’s.  
  
“And I’ll let you know what I like and don’t like,” Ren said. “Relax, and do what feels natural and comfortable to you.” Kylo pushed Hux gently backwards onto the bed, so that he was standing between Hux’s splayed legs, leaning over as Hux lay on his back. Hux took the hint and scuttled backwards, leaning against the pillows. Kylo climbed on to the bed and joined him.  
  
They lay facing each other and this time it was Kylo who initiated the kiss. Hux kissed back as eagerly as he did before, but Kylo lowered the intensity, slowly exploring Hux’s lips with his own. Kylo’s lips were surprisingly soft and full. Hux would never have expected so plush a trait to belong to so rough a person. But then, Hux had made a number of discoveries that day.  
  
Hux wrapped his arms around Kylo, holding him tight, and snaking one hand up to grip his hair. Kylo reached over his shoulder and moved Hux’s hand down to just below the nape of his neck.  
  
Kylo coaxed Hux’s mouth open a little more and slipped in, his tongue meeting Hux’s as he did. Hux tried to reciprocate, more hesitant this time. Almost instantly, Hux broke off the kiss, jerking back and closing his mouth. “I’m… I don’t like that. The texture’s weird. Now that I think about it, it’s probably an unsanitary practice.”  
  
“It’s not supposed to be unsanitary,” Kylo said. “Also, if I’m being honest, we may well do things that I’d consider even more unsanitary than this.”  
  
“That’s fine. I just don’t like that way your tongue felt in my mouth. Not that there was anything wrong with your tongue specifically, they’re probably all like that, but actually I don’t have anything to compare it to, so I wouldn’t exactly know, but my point is tha — ”  
  
“Hux.”  
  
“Sorry for killing the mood,” Hux murmured.  
  
“Don’t apologise. This is how it’s supposed to be done. Believe me. Did you like what we were doing before?” Kylo asked, changing the subject. Hux nodded.  
  
“I’m taking my jacket off. It’s rather warm,” Hux said, beginning to undo his belt.  
  
“May I do it?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
Kylo took over unclasping Hux’s belt, dropping it onto the floor. Hux rolled his eyes in disapproval. Kylo continued his ministrations, undoing Hux’s jacket to reveal a black standard-issue tank top with the First Order insignia emblazoned on it. As Kylo tossed Hux’s jacket on the floor, Hux shot him a look of disapproval, but stuck his arms straight up, indicating that Kylo should pull the entire thing off over his head. Kylo noted that Hux was much more slender than his uniform would suggest. His shoulders were narrower and his chest was pale and Kylo could see the outlines of Hux’s ribs. But Kylo knew better than to say anything.  
  
“I shall do the same for you,” Hux said, moving to take off Ren’s cowl.  
  
“Only if you want to.”  
  
“I do want to.”  
  
“It’s always good to check.”  
  
Hux unwound the cowl, making a point of throwing it further across the room than Kylo had dropped his things, and began undoing Kylo’s tunic. It was a slow process; Hux kept getting stuck on the fasteners and it was very difficult to navigate through all the layers of what may as well have been the same fabric.  
  
“How long does it take you to get ready in the mornings?” Hux asked.  
  
“Not long.”  
  
“I don’t believe you. It must take forever to put this on.”  
  
“Not if you sleep in it.”  
  
Hux gaped. “Please tell me this isn’t what you slept in last night,” Hux whined.

“I could tell you that, but then I’d be lying,” Kylo said, winking.  
  
Hux shoved him playfully in the chest as he succeeded in removing Kylo’s tunic. Kylo edged the garment off; Hux grabbed it and flung it across the room.  
  
Hux took in the sight of Kylo in his trousers and crop top, and the suspenders. It was the same outfit, Hux realised, that he had worn to train yesterday.  
  
“Why do you train with your mask on?”  
  
“Because I’m unlikely ever to be in a fight without it. It’s good to practice with realistic visibility. You, of all people would understand,” Kylo replied, thinking of Hux’s simulation programs.  
  
“Oh yeah?” Hux leaned in and whispered in Kylo’s ear: “It would be unfortunate if you got into a fight now,” Hux purred, pouncing on him. “Oh wait — shit — is that okay? I just jumped on you,” Hux asked, still on top of him.  
  
Kylo laughed again, that low, rumbling laugh that Hux was growing ever fonder. “Yes. Absolutely fine.”  
  
“How am I supposed to know that? It would be more efficient to know these things before we started”  
  
“Well, you don’t know what you like and don’t like yet, and the only thing that comes to mind for me is that I don’t like for my hair to be touched.”  
  
“Oh, right. Sorry.”  
  
“Well, now you know. Where were we?”  
  
Hux grinned and straddled Kylo, rolling his hips to rub their hardening cocks together through their clothing. Hux shivered as a spark of pleasure shot up through his body, and Kylo groaned in delight beneath him. Hux continued to move, a new shock shooting through him with every rolling movement.  
  
Kylo gently put his hands on Hux’s hips. “I’m going to reverse our positions.”  
  
“Okay,” Hux said, but Kylo held Hux in place before he could move.  
  
“I’ve got a suggestion. How flexible are you?”  
  
“Very.”  
  
“All right. Take your legs and uncurl them, stick them out in front of you, in a V shape. Yes, good! Okay, from the position you’re in now, lean backwards, like you’re doing a reverse sit-up. All the way down to the bed. Okay give me a second.” Kylo inched his way over to where Hux was and executed a flawless sit-up to claim the top.  
  
“Heh,” Hux laughed.  
  
“I’m marking today as the day I got a laugh out of the great General Hux,” Kylo teased.  
  
Hux frowned. “Don’t do that. Don’t call me ‘General’ while we’re doing this.”  
  
“What should I call you?”  
  
‘“Hux’ was fine.”  
  
“Can’t I use your first name?”  
  
“I don’t think you’ll want to. I can’t imagine it sounding good in these circumstances.”  
  
“Try me.”  
  
“Armitage.”  
  
“Armitage?”  
  
“Yes, Ren, that is what I said.”  
  
“You can call me Kylo, if you want.”  
  
“Maybe.”  
  
Kylo, appropriately positioned, returned the favour, grinding his hips against Hux’s, their cocks aching for release from the friction.  
  
“Ren? Kylo?”  
  
“Mmm?”  
  
“Is there a way to a — ask permission without using — ah — words? It’s becoming increasingly difficult to — ah — speak coherently,” Hux said in between gasps, as Kylo continued to roll his hips.  
  
“Yes. You can guide my hand and other body parts to where you want them, like _this,_ ” Kylo said, palming the bulge in Hux’s trousers, pressing the heel of his hand overtop of it. Hux moaned in response. “Or, you can start an action on yourself, and gesture for me to complete it, like _this_ ,” Kylo said, shedding his suspenders and undoing the top button of his trousers. “There are lots of ways but we can primarily use these.”  
  
Hux looked Kylo in the eye and nodded weakly to indicate that he understood. Kylo smiled back at him, each knowing that they would learn to read the other’s signals and body language. Hux unbuttoned the rest of Kylo’s trousers and eased them down his thighs. Kylo rolled off to remove his boots and Hux did the same. They both took off their trousers and Kylo peeled off his crop top, so they were both left in no more than their underwear.  
  
Kylo caught sight of Hux looking at his body with envy, not for the first time either. Kylo had noticed those casual stares when they were commanding from the bridge together, furtive glances stolen while in the same training facility. He had been taking note of the incidents so that he may use them against Hux later if they ever got into a serious blow-up, but now he found no desire to do that. Seeing Hux stripped of all his layers and padding and ceremonious garb left him looking so very terribly _human_ , subject to all the vulnerabilities and insecurities of the ordinary mind. Prior to this, Kylo could have believed that Hux was an android in the shape of a General.  
  
“Please stop looking at me like that.”  
  
“Like what?”  
  
“Like _that_. What you’re doing right now,”  
  
“I’m not looking in any particular way. I’m just looking.”  
  
“Oh.”  
  
“Hux, I know what you’re thinking.”  
  
“Did you just fucki — ”

“— No, I didn’t read your mind. I wouldn’t. I’m observant. That means I look at things, put them into context. Sometimes I see things that nobody else sees. Sometimes I see secrets that people don’t know they’re hiding. Today, I’m looking at someone who is resilient. Someone who is the youngest and most brilliant General the First Order has ever seen. Someone who is —” Kylo pauses, searching for the right word. _Beautiful. Genius. Powerful_. All are true of Hux, but none are perfect.  
  
_Perfect_.  
  
“Hux, you’re perfect.”  
  
“That’s factually incorrect. If I were perfect as I am, I’d have nothing to aspire to.”  
  
“Oh, hush up and take the compliment. You are. Every inch of you.”  
  
“You haven’t seen every inch of me yet.” With that, Hux slid his underwear off and cast them on the same pile as his other clothes, too far gone to care about the mess. His cock was almost fully hard.  
  
He then turned to Kylo and ran his finger along the waistband of his underwear inquisitively. Kylo put his hand on top of Hux’s, the okay sign. With both hands, Hux pulled Kylo’s underwear down, revealing his half-hard dick.  
  


[Art by [xan-drei]](xan-drei.tumblr.com)

Hux had seen many a cock in his lifetime — it was unavoidable growing up at the Academy — but he had never touched one that wasn’t his own. He closed his hand around Kylo’s shaft and gave him several long, slow strokes. Kylo closed his eyes, panting in ecstasy and he moaned when Hux withdrew his hand.  
  
Almost languidly, Hux reached down to cup himself, fingers toying with his balls and teasing the base of his cock. Kylo’s hand joined his, taking over. Kylo put his hand over the head of Hux’s cock, which caused Hux to inhale sharply, and ran a single digit up the underside, rousing it completely erect.  
  
Kylo placed his hand on the back of Hux’s head and guided him down towards his cock, but Hux pushed Kylo’s hand away.  
  
“I can’t. I’m sorry. I don’t want to suck your cock,” Hux declared.  
  
“What did I tell you about apologising? Armitage, it’s all right.” Hux flinched at the sound of his given name, not out of distaste; he was unaccustomed to responding to it.  
  
Kylo trailed hot kisses from collarbone to pubic bone, pausing every so often to check Hux’s responses. When Kylo reached Hux’s cock, he sat up and looked directly at Hux.  
  
“Would you be all right with me using the Force?”  
  
“You can use the Force for _this_?”  
  
“I absolutely can. You don’t know the power of the Dark Side,” Kylo quipped.  
  
“Is it safe?”  
  
“Yes, very.”  
  
“All right. I’ll give it a go.”  
  
“As you wish. I’ll finish with you though, don’t worry.”  
  
Kylo moved up the bed to lie next to Hux. At the same time, Hux arched his back off the bed and whimpered, with Kylo using the Force to give Hux the sensation a finger tracing the length of his spine. Next, Hux felt something damp on his cock. On instinct, he sat up to see what it was, but then remembered that Kylo was right next to him. He gasped as the wetness spread from the head all the way down his shaft, becoming warmer and tighter.  
  
Then the movement started. The feeling was unlike anything Hux had ever experienced, even from his own hand. The Force seemed to know exactly the rhythm that Hux favoured, the right amount of pressure to put on his aching cock, and even the temperature and texture. He had no idea how it worked but the smooth strokes continued, radiating pleasure from between his legs. As the strokes began to speed up, Hux felt his chest being stroked, and an invisible hand circled one of his nipples. Hux was gasping with every thrust, and he held up his hand to signal that he was near completion; Kylo stopped using the Force and channelled it instead into maintaining Hux’s current state of arousal and moving him down the bed so that Kylo could kneel between his thighs on the floor.  
  
Kylo licked a teasing stripe up the length of Hux’s cock, eliciting a loud groan. Then Kylo took Hux’s entire dick into his mouth at once, all the way up to the hilt. He began sucking and moving his mouth up and down, much as he had been doing with the Force. Hux found himself thrusting back, matching Kylo’s strokes.  
  
Kylo circled the head with his tongue and Hux stiffened, the tension in his body rising. With both hands, Kylo draped Hux’s legs over his shoulders, running his hands along the soft skin of his inner thighs as he did.

  
This touch sent Hux over the edge, and he came with a high-pitched moan in hot spurts that hit the back of Kylo’s throat. Kylo, with Hux’s cock still in his mouth, reached up to clasp Hux’s hand as his orgasm undid him. Hux crushed Kylo’s hand in his, gradually loosening his grip as he came down from the rush of his climax.  
  
Hux lay on Kylo’s bed, hair damp with sweat and a pink flush spreading over his whole body as he panted, the aftershocks of his release pulsing through him. Kylo got up and lay next to him, pushing Hux’s hair back from his forehead. Hux turned his head and scrambled up to kiss Kylo on the lips, tasting himself on Kylo’s mouth. As he kissed Kylo, Hux trailed one hand down Kylo’s chest, past his muscular abdomen, through the thicket of coarse, dark hair, and took up Kylo’s cock, hot and completely hard in his hand.  
  
Kylo pulled away from Hux, waving his hand and summoning a small bottle of lubricant from his refresher. Hux muttered “show-off” under his breath, but just loud enough for Kylo to hear. Kylo smirked in response. He handed the bottle to Hux, who squeezed some onto the palm of his hand and slicked Kylo with it. Kylo shivered at the contact of the cool liquid on his hot skin. Hux began to move his hand up and down Kylo’s dick, the lubricant easing his movement. Hux adjusted his position to concentrate on pleasuring Kylo, applying more pressure to his strokes and running his other hand over Kylo’s hips, his sides.

 

Hux sped up his strokes, determined to give Kylo the satisfaction that he had given Hux. Hux moved his hand furiously, passionately, until Kylo was panting, his eyes squeezed shut and his body stiffening.  
  
“Armit — Hux… ’m close,” Kylo gasped out.  
  
Kylo’s toes curled and he lifted his hips off the bed to thrust up into Hux’s touch. Hux used his other hand to trace his fingers over the heard of Kylo’s cock. At Hux’s touch, Kylo came with a groan, splattering both their stomachs. Hux stroked Kylo through his high, loosening his grip and letting the waves of pleasure ripple through him.

Kylo gently pried Hux’s hand from his softening cock, and Hux retook his place next to Kylo, lying side-by-side.  
  
“Was that… all right?” Hux asked nervously.  
  
“Yes. It was wonderful. You were wonderful,” Kylo murmured.  
  
“Good,” Hux said. He paused. “I also had a good time,” Hux said, unable to verbalise that it was better than anything he could have imagined and that he felt grateful for Kylo’s patience and that he was nearly overwhelmed with how attentive Kylo was to what he wanted and needed and that he hadn’t had sex with him because he stood to gain anything from it — he had done it because he wanted to. That Kylo had used his powers, those powers that could bring planets to ruin and spread the shadow of fear across the Galaxy, he had used them to fuck him so perfectly.

“I’ll be right back, okay?” Hux felt Kylo get up from next to him. Hux closed his eyes and heard the sound of running water. It had always been a calming and comfortable sound.  
  
Kylo returned with two glasses of water, one of which he handed to Hux, and a washcloth, which he used to wipe the drying come from his abdomen and thighs. He reached over and did the same for Hux.  
  
Hux drained his glass of water, surprised at how thirsty he was. He set it on Kylo’s bedside table and rolled over onto his side, facing away from Kylo. Kylo put his arm around Hux and held him tight. They lay like that, breathing in time with each other, basking in that feeling of security and togetherness, the outside world dropping away around them. Hux placed his hand on top of Kylo’s and closed his eyes. For once in his life, he could believe that everything was in order. The chaotic state of the Galaxy, all the reports he had to read, the programs he had to develop — none of those mundanities crossed his mind, because none of that actually mattered, not now with Kylo pressed behind him, his warm breath tickling his ear.  
  
“Kylo?”  
  
“Mhm?”  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
“No need to thank me,” Kylo said behind him. “And Hux?”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“You were right. Your last name sounds much better than your first in bed.”  


Hux turned over, pulled Kylo’s pillow out from under his head and whacked him in the face with it. Leaning on one elbow facing Kylo, Hux raised one eyebrow. “I told you so.”

* * *

“What do you mean it doesn’t count?” Hux cried indignantly. Hux and Phasma were back at their regular table in the officers’ lounge the following evening. “He knew all along, Phasma! And I won! I got him in bed with me!”  
  
“I mean that it doesn’t count if he knew about the bet. That means he took it upon himself to decide who won.”  
  
“I told you, it wasn’t like that,” Hux snapped. “And, now that I think about it, it wouldn’t have been fair to sleep with him without telling him.”  
  
Hux had told Phasma as much as she needed to know about the situation and she had listened intently, even half-jokingly suggesting that Hux and Ren join her and her girlfriend on a planetside double date.

The only thing left to resolve was the outcome of their wager.  
  
“Then, what do you propose we do?”  
  
“Well, I won, so that means you have to deal with Ren. And I did it in less than a week.”  
  
“Ah, but I didn’t lose either, so that means you have to teach Mitaka’s aerobics classes.”  
  
“Fine.”  
  
“Fine.”  
  
They agreed to each hold up their end of the bargain and Hux decided he could tolerate it. Besides, aerobics wasn’t all that bad; he had rather enjoyed his encounter with the exercise the first time.

Hux smiled to himself in the darkness of the lounge. He knew that he had won. Not even the bet, but he had emerged all the happier for it, and that definitely counted.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Hux's original plan was to break into Kylo's room, strip, and be ready, posing on the bed for when he came in. It was a terrible plan.  
> \- Hux's package contained condoms, a holorecord with plenty of diagrams of sex positions, and some lubricant of questionable origin. It's a good thing he didn't get to use any of that.  
> \- I did not expect to have so many feels while writing this chapter.  
> \- I very nearly cut the entire sex scene out and have that as a bonus scene because I was nervous about the amount of dialogue and the pacing. It'a also long enough to be a fic by itself.  
> \- I headcanon that Hux doesn't like weird things in his mouth and that Kylo's tongue and dick both qualify. I think he would be fine putting his own tongue in Kylo's mouth though.  
> \- My kink is open lines of communication and enthusiastic, ongoing consent.  
> \- Please leave a comment if you read this far, I'd really appreciate it <3  
> \- Proceed to Chapter 6 if you want the "post-credits" scene!  
> \- Read vmprsm's beautiful fic In the Glittering Morning [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7495941).  
> \- **Update Feb 24, 2017** : This chapter now has a beautiful piece of a href="http://xan-drei.tumblr.com/post/157565496296/this-one-is-for-thethirstorder-who-asked-for-some">artto go with it! Done by the amazing a href="http://xan-drei.tumblr.com/">xan-drei, who donated the commission money to the ACLU. Please show them some love!


	6. Post-Credits Scene

**Two Weeks Later**  
  
Hux strode out of the training facility, having finished his final aerobics class. It had been quite a challenge, coming up with a reason for Hux to take over Mitaka’s class for two weeks. In the end, he had lied and said that it was for inspection purposes and that Mitaka would be back once the inspection concluded.   
  
As Hux mopped his face with a towel, he passed Phasma going in for her training session.   
  
“How was it, General?” she asked with a wink.  
  
“Surprisingly enjoyable, Captain. I shall be sad to leave my position.”  
  
“You know, you can always attend the class when Mitaka is teaching,” Phasma offered.  
  
“I know. I just might. How about you? I haven’t seen you file a single incident report. I have always taken you for an honest woman Phasma, but not holding up your end of the deal is so far beneath you.”  
  
“General, believe it or not, there’s been nothing to file,” Phasma said truthfully.  
  
“I’m going with the ‘or not’ end of the spectrum. That’s bantha fodder, Phasma. His longest record is ten days.”  
  
Hux and Phasma were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat behind them. Both whirled around, to find Kylo standing there, in his usual training garb, his towel around his neck.  
  
“Well, General, it’s not _my_ fault that I’ve been in such a good mood these past two weeks,” Ren said. “I’d have thought you’d thank me.” Kylo hit Hux on the butt with his towel, and Hux turned bright red.   
  
Without saying another word, Kylo nodded to Phasma and walked right past them to begin his workout. Hux turned to Phasma.  
  
“If I ever threaten to kill him again,” Hux said, “don’t try to stop me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Read vmprsm's beautiful fic In the Glittering Morning [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7495941).

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](thethirstorder.tumblr.com)!


End file.
